East Cornwall · PL22
House Extensions in Lostwithiel
Extensions are the bread and butter of Cornish homes — adding the kitchen-diner the original layout never had, the bedroom for a growing family, or the light and views the back of the house should always have had. In Lostwithiel, that work is shaped by the place itself — Lostwithiel is a medieval town on the river Fowey, formerly the capital of Cornwall, with a strong antiques trade, a Norman church and an extensive Conservation Area, with a building stock that leans toward medieval and Georgian merchants' houses and Victorian terraces.
- Conservation Area
Local context
Why Lostwithiel is its own job.
Conservation Area is extensive, covering the medieval streets, the church and the riverside. Listed buildings are very common; flood zone designation affects properties near the river. For extension specifically, parts of Lostwithiel sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape. That's why we treat every Lostwithiel project as a PL22-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on.
Planning note
Most extensions in Cornwall are either permitted development or a straightforward householder application — but Conservation Area and AONB sites need a more careful design conversation upfront.
What we focus on
Extensions considerations specific to Lostwithiel.
01
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
02
Permitted development for rear extensions runs to four metres on a detached house, three on a semi or terrace — but Article 4 areas remove this in some parishes.
03
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
Our process
How a Lostwithiel extension project runs.
Step 1
Brief
We meet on site, talk through how you live now and what's missing from the current layout.
Step 2
Design
Two or three sketch directions with rough budgets, then refinement of the chosen route.
Step 3
Approvals
Planning or Cert of Lawfulness, then a full building regs package.
Step 4
Build
Either through your own builder with our drawings, or as a full build by our team.
Step 5
Handover
Snag, certify, hand over the keys to your new space.
Typical single-storey rear extensions run twelve to twenty weeks on site; two-storey and wraparound projects sixteen to thirty weeks.
FAQs
Lostwithiel Extensions — common questions.
- Can you handle the build as well as the design?
- Yes — that's the whole point of the studio. One contract, one point of contact, no finger-pointing between architect and builder when something needs a decision on site. In Lostwithiel specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- What about the Party Wall Act?
- If you share a wall with a neighbour or build close to a boundary, the Act applies. We flag it early, recommend a surveyor and keep the programme aligned with the notice period.
- How much does an extension cost in Cornwall?
- Build costs in Cornwall typically run from around £2,200 to £3,200 per square metre for a good-quality single-storey extension, more for kitchen-grade fit-out or complex glazing. We give a realistic budget before drawings start, not after.
- Will my house be liveable during the build?
- For most rear and side extensions, yes — we sequence the works so the kitchen and one bathroom stay functional until the new build is watertight and connected.
Other services in Lostwithiel
Nearby places we cover